Geotopes or geological sites provide information on the evolution, structure and properties of the Earth's crust and on the geological past. They also represent the great variety of features that characterize a landscape, For this reason, their preservation is of special concern to geosciences. As early as in the 19th century, outstanding rock formations became important tourist sites although the modern terms ""geosites"" and ""geotourism"" were unknown. The paper describes the German initiatives on geotope conservation and the implementation of National GeoParks in Germany and their use for education and tourism.
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